SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Meliora Therapeutics (“Meliora”), a machine learning therapeutics company developing novel and transformative cancer drugs, today announced the appointment of Dieter Weinand, former Chairman and CEO of Bayer Pharmaceuticals, as Meliora’s Chairman of the Board, and the appointment of Jean-Jacques Bienaimé, former Chairman and CEO of BioMarin, to Meliora’s Board of Directors as Independent Director.
“We are thrilled to have Dieter Weinand and Jean-Jacques Bienaimé join Meliora’s Board of Directors,” stated David Li, Meliora co-founder and Chief Executive Officer. “Their expertise and leadership in drug development will be incredible assets to our company. I look forward to working closely with both to further Meliora’s vision of being the world’s leading machine learning oncology therapeutics company.”
Dieter Weinand is an experienced business leader with over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and the former CEO and Chairman of the Board of Bayer Pharmaceuticals. During a career stretching back over 30 years, he has held various responsibilities in general management, commercial, operational and strategic leadership roles, leading business operations in the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and the United States, for companies including Bayer, Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Sanofi.
He has also led the development, launch, and commercialization of products in various therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular diseases, oncology, dermatology, immunology, and respiratory and inflammatory diseases. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Replimune (REPL), Umoja, and Inspirna, and Executive Chairman of the Board of Mnemo Therapeutics. He earned an M.S. in pharmacology and toxicology from Long Island University, New York, and a B.A. in biology from Concordia College, New York.
“I am very pleased to become Chairman of the Board for Meliora, a company which has the potential to make a significant clinical difference in cancer patients’ lives using its novel machine learning powered approach. I look forward to working together with David and the Meliora team to advance the company through its next stages of growth and to achieve its strategic business and pipeline objectives,” Mr. Weinand commented.
Mr. Jean-Jacques Bienaimé has over three decades of experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, most recently serving as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BioMarin Pharmaceuticals. He joined BioMarin in May 2005, when the company had a single marketed product and approximately $26 million in annual revenues. Under Mr. Bienaimé's leadership, BioMarin grew significantly, from about 300 US-only employees to more than 3,400 people in almost 80 countries around the world and over $2.4 billion in sales in 2023. Biomarin received 8 drug approvals by the FDA during this time period.
Before joining BioMarin, Mr. Bienaimé spent years in similar executive roles at other pharmaceutical and biotech companies and currently serves on the board of directors for Incyte, Immunome, Owkin, and Keros. Mr. Bienaimé studied economics at the École de Commerce de Paris and received an M.B.A from the University of Pennsylvania.
“I am excited to join the Meliora Board of Directors as they endeavor to bring transformative oncology therapeutics to the patients most in need through their ML-powered approach,” commented Mr. Bienaimé. “In my career, focusing on patients while leveraging the latest technology has been critical to success, and Meliora is highly aligned in this approach. I look forward to enhancing Meliora’s ability to execute on its compelling vision.”
About Meliora Therapeutics
Meliora Therapeutics is discovering and developing small molecule oncology therapies for high value cancer targets with its proprietary machine learning powered platform, AnchorOmics. Pairing the first multimodal, mechanism-of-action machine learning algorithm and a world-class team of scientists and engineers, Meliora is pioneering a novel approach to create life-changing therapies for cancer patients. San Francisco and Cambridge-based Meliora Therapeutics has raised $11 million to date and is led by leaders from the fields of AI, biotechnology, and drug discovery. For more information, please visit: www.melioratx.com
